Inez native, Texas A&M-Kingsville pitcher Travis Madden dies

The Inez native and Industrial graduate was a freshman majoring in chemical engineering and had just completed his first season of fall baseball.

But Madden died Sunday morning at the age of 18.

Kingsville police responded to a call just after 9 a.m. found Madden unconscious at the bottom of a stairwell at an apartment complex on the 1400 block of West Santa Gertrudis Street, about a block away from the campus, according to a police department release.

The release said Madden had been dead for several hours.

Police said statements were taken from residents at the apartment complex and from Texas A&M-Kingsville students.

Madden had reportedly left a party off-campus the night before and was walking to his dorm on the Texas A&M-Kingsville campus. There is no known connection between Madden and the apartment complex where he was found, the release said.

The police department is awaiting the result of an autopsy and the investigation continues.

"We're kind of dealing with it the best we can," said Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball coach Jason Gonzales.

Gonzales said he called a team meeting Sunday afternoon to inform his players of Madden's death.

"This is something you don't have a script for," Gonzales said. "It's been a very emotional day."

Madden attended Memorial his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Industrial.

Madden set Industrial school records for single-season strikeouts and no-hitters.

He was a two-time second-team all-state selection and was a first-team selection on the Advocate's all-area team as a senior.

Gonzales said he planned to use Madden out of the bullpen in the spring.

"It looked like he was growing into the role," Gonzales said. "He didn't really pitch like a freshman. He had a lot of confidence and kind of an arrogance on the mound, which is something we like."

A number of condolence messages were posted on Madden's Facebook page.